koolkosherkitchen – Welcome to my Kool Kosher Kitchen where food is fun and fun is to create food!

Joyous, No Matter What (reiteration)

My great-grand-uncle, my great-grandmother’s brother, was considered the most desirable marriage prospect in the Viennese Jewish community. Young and darkly handsome, a scion of one of the wealthiest and most prominent families, he was chased by the hopeful maidens and sought after by the matchmakers. Imagine the family’s shock when he declared his choice: it…

Of Hats, Pockets, Ears, and Hidden Messages (remix)

These pastries are called Hamantaschen. We can no more imagine the holiday of Purim without them than without the graggers – noisemakers gleefully shaken by children and adults alike to drown the name of the evil villain Haman. That’s a story of Purim in a nutshell. Once again, the Jewish people, marked for wholesale slaughter, were saved through the good offices of…

Chocolate Roses for Valentine’s (reiteration)

I’ve been getting an impression that you, Beautiful People, like reading my historical improvisations more than my recipes. I am happy to accommodate. As we say in Odessa, “If it’s songs you want, I’ve got them for you.” This is Frida Kahlo, a great Mexican artist famous for her self-portraits and paintings of flowers. She…

Happy New Year to the Trees with More Pickled Veggies!

This is a re-post, Beautiful People. Tomorrow is Tu b’Shvat, the New Year of the Trees in the Hebrew Calendar, and I thought this post was worth repeating. We are celebrating yet another New Year – the New Year of the Trees. In the old times, in ancient Israel, this day, 15th of the month Shevat, or Tu b’Shvat in Hebrew,…

Vinaigrette – a Russian Winter Salad (reiteration)

Chanukkah is over, but I have some more recipes to share. Here is one which my family traditionally served on Chanukkah. He is called Father Frost or General Frost. He lives in Russia, and he could be very cruel, especially to those who do not show proper respect to him. He has defeated many invaders,…

Coconut Latkes Full of Light (reiteration)

On the fifth night of Chanukkah, five lights are on, spreading their warmth and glow throughout the house. The fifth night is considered special for several reasons, but as a child, I was told that on this night, we “tip the scale,” so to speak, by bringing more lights into the darkness of the world. A…

Pollo Fritto Artistico (reiteration)

Before presenting to you, Beautiful People, a unique Chanukkah recipe originating in Italy and inspired by non-Jews, it is my great pleasure to share a lovely poem composed by a non-Jewish blogofriend Jonathan Coswell who chronicles everyday events in limericks. Please click on the link to enjoy the poem and come back for the recipe…

The Holy Hole-less Doughnuts (reiteration)

When Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden of Eden in a hurry, they hadn’t thought of packing a lunchbox. Supposedly, He Who had kicked them out sent them a comfort parcel with a dozen hole-less doughnuts filled with jam. Yum! The Hebrew word for doughnut, sufgania, is here presented as an abbreviation of “The…

Kids, Miracles, and Banana Latkes (reiteration)

Originally, I posted this six years ago, when my youngest granddaughter was seven. She is now thirteen, and even more adorable. I am being totally objective, of course. I got the best Chanukkah present from my younger son – he brought over his littlest daughter, the only one of his brood of four who was…

Gambling for Education and Retchene Latkes (reiteration)

To continue with the story of Chanukkah and latkes, Judea was eventually captured by the Romans. Some of the Roman rulers could care less about various religions of the occupied territories, or provinces, as long as the taxes were collected regularly and accurately. Some others, however, persecuted Jews relentlessly; Emperor Hadrian even earned the nickname “Destroyer of the…

But Hannah Did Not Have Potatoes! Latkes with a Tropical Twist (reiteration)

Chanukkah is coming, and kids are looking forward to stuffing their faces with latkes – potato pancakes. When I was growing up, we had all kinds of latkes on Chanukkah, and sometimes my grandmother skipped the deruny (potato latkes) altogether because of the variety of other, more interesting ones: carrots with apples, zucchini with raisins, and my father’s favorite rechene (buckwheat) latkes. When a guest inquired about…

Placinda – Flaky Pumpkin Pie (reiteration)

A prominent Rabbi picks up an apple, pronounces the appropriate blessing, and bites into it. One of his students also picks up an apple, mutters a blessing, and takes a bite. Then he stops and asks: “Rabbi, what is the difference between you and me eating an apple? We both say the same blessing, yet…